Caging



J ly 31, 1928.

1,679,193 W. E. WHITE CAGING Filed Jan. 3, 1927 Patented July 31, 1928.

UNITED] ST TES PATENT I wIL-Lim E. WHITE, or CHICAGO, rLL-moIs'AsfsIGNoB To xAL AiI sreenconranr, i

or crneaeo, rumors; A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CAGiivG.

Application filed January 3, Serial fie. 158,625.

My inventionrelates to an improvement in reinforcements for the plastic covering of beams and other structural shapes.

It is customary, and in fact essential, where beams, columns and similar structural members are enclosed in concrete, to provide a network of wire around the beams, the wire acting as a reinforcement for the plastic material. In common practice, the beam is covered with a section of wire netting, that is, wire in mesh form, similar to woven wire fencing. This however, 18 unsatisfactory, and requires considerable time for installation.

My invention contemplates the employ ment of a single length of wire having flange-engaging hooks at intervals thereon adapting it to be quickly and simply installed by the use of no tools other than the hands of a single workman, and which shell be retained in position by the resiliency of the wire. As an additional feature of importance, I provide integral projections from the wire extending laterally from the plane of the finished caging, said pro ections acting as a permanent and accurate means for spacing the forms away from the beams.

The advantages of a construction such as 80 described are many; the structure may be formed by ordinary machines; it is easily handled and shipped, the structure. being straight except for the engaging hooks formed at intervals therein, and is quickly applied.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a beam to which my improved caging has been applied; 1

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a length of wire prior to installation, and;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of that portion of the wire which includes the engaging hooks and the form spacing elements.

The structural member A, here illustrated is of I-beam form and may be a column or girder, or may be of other cross-sectional shape. The caging or reinforcement consists of a single length of wire having straight intermediate portions,.10, and intervening,

spaced hooks, and projections. The projections are forme'd by means of the lateral bends, 11, the rebent portions, 12, being extended beyond the plane of the straight portions, 10, such portions constituting a loop, to 13, which is formed into a hook having a horizontal recess or flange engaging space, 14. The structure is best illustrated in its installed position in Fig. 2-, in which it is apparent that the hooks, 13, securely engage the flanges of the beam, while the projectlion serves to space away the form boards,

In order to install the structure, the first two hooks at an end of the straight struc- 7 I ture are caused to engage opposite flanges of the beam, and thesuccessive portions are then deflected in a zig-zag manner so that alternate hooks are successively caused to engage opposite sides of the beam flanges. 7

The natural resiliency of the wire serves to retain the structure in position prior to the pouring of the concrete.

Obviously the construction is capable of considerable modification, and I do not wish to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A beam casing, comprising a single length. of wire bent to. provide a series of spaced flange-engaging and form-spacing devices therein, each of said devices includ-- ing a loop projecting laterally from the wire In one direction and a second loop project ing laterally in the opposite direction, a

hook being formed in the last named loop and constituting the flange-engaging means, the length of wire occupying a position midway between the extremities of the two loops and spaced away from the face of the beam.

2. A beam caging, comprising a single length of wire bent to provide a series of spaced flange-engaging and form spacing devices therein, each of said devices including a loop projecting laterally from the wire in one direction and a second loop projecting laterally in the opposite direction, a hook being formed in the last mentioned loop and constituting the flange engaging means, said length of wire being normally straight and being bent into zigzag form with alternate hooks engaging opposite flanges of a beam, the length of wire occupying a position midway between the extremities of the two loops and spaced away from the face of the beam. 7

3. A wire caging for beams, comprising a single length of wire, consisting of 5 straight parallel portions and intervening attaching and form-spacing portions formed from the length of wire the spacing porq tions being in the form of loops projecting at right angles from the line of the straight 10 portions and the attaching portions being in the form of long loops projecting at right angles from the straight'portions in an oppo' site direction to the spacing portions a hook being formed inthe extremities ofthe loops, the hooks being spaced away from the straight portion whereby the straight portions will occupy a plane midwayhetween the hooks and the extremities of the spacing portions and spaced away from the adjacent face of a bean].

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

WILLIAM E. WHITE. 

